Bus Stop

As a child I grew up with parents who worked for the Federal government. Bureaucrats. This at a time when some mothers worked outside of the home and others stayed home to raise their brood. I always expected to have a job outside the home as well when I became a parent, and I did for the first year of my son’s life. But here I am today, escorting my son to the bus stop and getting ready do it for the next 179 days of school. I thought it would be a once a year experience, taking him to the bus stop, with a daycare provider taking over the rest of the year. Instead I’m the daycare provider, and stay-at home mother, as well as a business owner. Something I should undoubtedly be proud of yet, I still find myself wondering how it ended up like this. I can look at myself as the lucky one who gets to do this twice daily walk with my boys. And I am lucky. We don’t have to worry about before and after school care, who will stay home with him on a sick day and who will be in charge of his lunch packing, homework helping and afternoon snack feeding. It will be my role to do all of these things, unlike my mother, some thirty years ago (to be fair, both of my parents helped with homework ).

I feel like June Cleaver without the pretty dress.